The Ex Factor
by Darley1101
Summary: In the after-math of Jackson's declaration of love, Jo finds herself wondering if Alex doesn't have lingering feelings for one of his exes. Determined to prove herself wrong Jo devises a plan to find out where her boyfriend stands with the women that meant something to him. Along the way she discovers it wasn't Alex she should have been worried about...it was herself. And sometimes
1. Chapter 1

_Dear Readers: Writing a story is always a bit complex. There are going to be people who love what you write and relate to the characters as you are portraying them. There are also going to be those who find your story isn't their cup of tea and never come back. There will also be what I like to call review bullies. A review bully is someone who uses a review to belittle someone or their creative attempts. I am not talking about telling an author you're not going to read because the story isn't your cup of tea or expressing an opinion on how the story could be improved. I am talking about running the author into the ground for no reason. If you do not like what someone is writing just exit the story. There is no need to be hateful. I don't feel as though I have had too many review bullies on my stories but I have seen them on others. In fact, just the other day I had a friend express concern over something another friend had said to another writer. I was appalled by what I seen. Not just by the rude comment my friend left, but by some of the other reviews. One of which concerned me and this story. If you don't like what I write that is fine. If you think there are ways I can improve the story and want to take the time to suggest them, I am always appreciative. Just do NOT go onto another writers story talking about how ridiculous I am and how my story is the biggest piece of garbage you have ever read. Even if you feel that way have the guts to say it to me, on my story, don't do that to another author! If you don't like what I write don't read it. It won't hurt my feelings. I have plenty of people who do enjoy my writing. (I have several stories where the review count has reached over 400, and it wasn't because of drama) . The point of reviews is to encourage one another; to help one another grow as writers. It isn't meant to be a playground for bullies. There is a right and a wrong way to tell someone they need to polish up their story. Belittling their efforts and poking fun of them is definitely the wrong way. Especially if you are doing it on another writer's story. I will never understand why people feel the need to be negative in that manner. There is enough negativity in the world without adding to it. As for me and my writing, I am always open to suggestions. Even when I hear things that might sting a bit, I am grateful the person took the time to not only read but to give me their insight into how the story could be improved. Well, here it is. An improved version of what I believe will be a good story if it is given a chance. I would like to remind everyone I haven't written any of these characters in quite some time. Almost a year to be exact. There will be times I get them correct and there will be times where my long hiatus shows. I believe in being upfront with my readers as I look at each of you as part of my online writing family. This last year was a difficult one. My mother was diagnosed with cancer so I spent a lot of time praying, crying, or sitting in a waiting room. To say my writing mojo was scarce is an understatement. This is the first storyline I have been excited about in a long time. So...I am begging you...even if you don't like it please refrain from bashing it. Right now I bruise easily and want to dip my toes back in the writing pool at my own pace. Thanks to all who take the time to read, and especially thank you to those who take the time to leave a constructive review. Unlike last time, all reviews that don't pertain to THIS story will be removed. I am sorry if that seems small minded or petty but I just don't want the drama. XOXO-Darley_

Title: The Ex-Factor

Author: Darley1101

Rating: M (language, sexual content, sexual innuendo)

Main Characters: Jo W., Alex K., Izzie S., Jackson A.

Minor Characters: Jason M., April K., Rebecca P., Addison M., Stephanie, and more

Pairings: (mentioned) Jo/Alex, Alex/Izzie (end game), Alex/Rebecca, Alex/Addison, Jo/Jason, Izzie/Denny, Jo/Jackson (end game)

Premise:In the after-math of Jackson's declaration of love, Jo finds herself wondering if Alex doesn't have lingering feelings for one of his exes. Determined to prove herself wrong Jo devises a plan to find out where her boyfriend stands with the women that meant something to him. Along the way she discovers it wasn't Alex she should have worried about...it was herself.

Author's Note: The idea for this story came while I was watching the movie "Little Black Book" starring Britney Murphy. The movie is about a girl who allows others to pressure her into digging into her boyfriend's romantic history. What she discovers is he is still in touch with some of his exes. Desperate to find out if he is actually cheating she starts looking them up and meeting them. There is one she really starts to like and becomes friends with. Unfortunately this is also the woman her boyfriend is still in love with. I won't go into any further details on the movie as it would ruin it for you. Definitely give it a watch. The ending is sad though. I can't do to Jo what they did to Britney's character. If you have seen the movie, I am only loosely following it. There won't be any of the ridiculous drama that goes down. If you think I am writing this just to put Alex and Izzie back together you are only half-right. I had a friend ask me to write a story with Jo, Alex, and Izzie that doesn't result in one of the women looking badly. This storyline was perfect as it allows me to explore the idea of Jo and Izzie being friends. Call me crazy but I think if Izzie were still on the show her and Jo would be friends. I would also like to be very clear on this one thing: THERE IS NO CHEATING IN THIS STORY. Yes, there will be sex scenes. (Both Jolex and Lexzie/Izzex fans will be happy or pissed off depending on which scene it happens to be) That doesn't automatically mean there is cheating. I am stepping off my soap box now so I can get this new version of chapter one posted and start working on the new version of chapter two.

Chapter One

_6 months after April's wedding_

Could love exist without trust? That was the big question running through Dr. Jo Wilson's head as she sat in on a corner stool at the Emerald City Bar. The wooden surface before her was slightly sticky from where the drunk who'd been sitting next to her had spilled his drink. Walter had attempted to clean it up only to get distracted by some frat boys at the other end needing more shots. Jo was only half aware of the mess. A beer puddle was nothing compared to the chaos that was currently her life. There was no sloppy man with a beard to blame for the mess going on in her personal life. She'd created that monster all on her own. It would be nice to have someone else to blame. Alex. Isobel. Jackson. Anyone but herself. She couldn't though. Not when she was the one who set it all in motion. A bitter laugh rumbled in her chest as she took a sip of her warm beer. It seemed so ridiculous now, but at the time she had thought she was doing the right thing. She hadn't wanted to be caught off guard the way Stephanie had been. She didn't want to one day be sitting there, thinking life was just about perfect, and then be hit with the fact that her boyfriend was still in love with his ex. It wasn't as though she hadn't tried to reason with herself. She had. How many times, while she was Googling Alex's exes, had she told herself she was being ridiculous, Alex wasn't going to pull a Jackson? At least a dozen. Not that reasoning with herself had done any good. She'd still looked up Rebecca Pope, Addison Montgomery, and, lastly, Isobel Stevens.

Biting back a sigh, she took another sip from the half-empty bottle in front of her. She couldn't stop thinking about what a mess she had made. Not just of her relationship with Alex, but with the two women she had come to think of as her best friends. A single tear formed in the corner of her eye and slowly trickled down her cheek. She didn't bother reaching up to wipe it away. If anyone seen and asked what was wrong she would tell them the truth: she had destroyed three of the most important relationships in her life. The real irony was that two of those relationships wouldn't have existed without the crazy actions she had taken after April's wedding. Could she really regret what she had done, when it had led to two friendships that meant so much to her? Another burst of laughter bubbled in her throat. It wasn't just her actions that were crazy. She was crazy. She had to be. One moment she regretted what she had done, and the next she was thinking about how if she hadn't done it she wouldn't have met Addison or Isobel. She also wouldn't have been forced to think about how she really felt about Alex. And that was where her real regret lay. She loved Alex. There was no doubt about that in her mind. Just as she knew he loved her. The question she kept coming back to, the one that wouldn't leave her alone, was whether or not they were in love.

"Hey."

Jo felt her body stiffen as a familiar voice interrupted the miserable thoughts that kept circling in her mind. As they asked if the seat next to her was taken, she thought about telling them yes, it was taken. Her tongue and her lips wouldn't cooperate. No matter how badly she wanted to put off talking to the person anxiously waiting for her answer, she knew she couldn't. The time had come for her to own up to the mess she had created and to try and explain why.


	2. Chapter 2

_Guest1: I am so glad you are excited about this story! I am to! It is an idea I have been thinking about for a while now. I just didn't know which characters to use or how to keep it in perspective with what was happening on the show. The whole Jackson/April thing worked out perfectly. I know you mentioned concern over this being mainly about Jo. In a way, it is. In other ways it isn't. Regardless of how you feel about Jo on the show, I think you will like her in this story. _

_Islandgirl33: Yes, yes. You know me. I can't stay away from writing for long. And I definitely can't stay away from Alex and Izzie. This story is going to bring them full circle. It is also going to make Alex a better person. Do you know why? Jo. She makes him realize things about himself he didn't want to realize. More on that later. _

_Guest2: I completely understand. The way you feel is one of the reasons I posted the pairings that would occur throughout this story. However, this isn't a story about Alex and Jo breaking up so Alex and Izzie can be together. This story takes place over a long period of time and the end result isn't easily obtained. And it definitely isn't obtained at the expense of any one character. _

_Mel: I could argue the point on being the biggest Alex fan on the planet, he he. I think you are misunderstanding the premise of this story. As well as the first chapter. There is no cheating. That is the whole point. Jo lets herself get caught up in what Jackson did at April's wedding and she destroys the trust in her relationship. Because of that she is forced to take a look at herself, her relationship with Alex, the friendship she developes with one of his exes. I think if you were to give this a chance, as an Alex fan, you would enjoy it. I don't like cheating and I try to avoid it in stories. At any rate, thank you for taking the time to read the first chapter and leave a review._

_Elena: I think this story is going to end up being beautiful as well. I have a lot of great things planned. In reference to your question about There All Along, I am working on the next chapter right now. I don't know how long it will take but I guarantee it will result in some HOLY COWS! _

_Impatient fan: I have definitely missed writing! I love the movie as well! I really wish people would watch it, lol. They would understand the story so much better! _

_Dropdeadnina: I don't think anyone on here wants to know about my actual life, lol. They enjoy my fanfiction stories and that is fine by me. Thank you, as always, for your friendship and support. It means the world to me! And you are right: this is going to be an exciting story! _

_Jen: There will be other points of view but a good portion of the start is from Jo's point of view. After all, it is her story. I think you will enjoy it if you give it a chance. I do know what you mean about some Jo/Alex stories presenting Izzie in an unrealistic manner. I have encountered a few. It was rather sad as I don't think Shonda would ever pit the two against each other in the spiteful manner I have seen in one or two isn't the majority though. I think if you ignore those sorts of people you will find there are fans of Alex who enjoy him with either woman. You can't get wrapped up in how a few act. Thank you for taking the time to review!_

_Sarah01: I see where you are coming from and agree...to an extent. People need to stop being so hateful towards one another. Especially over characters on a show. After all those characters aren't real, but behind every screen name and guest is a real person. I do know where Jen is coming from as just yesterday I clicked on a story that had Alex, Izzie, and Jo tagged as the main characters. To say the author was OOC is being polite. They punished Izzie just for the sake of punishing her. There was no substance to the story. Which is sad because the premise was a good one and could have resulted in a phenomenal storyline. However, I seen another story tagged with all three where the author tried to be fair but caved to reviewer pressure and started having the characters act out. Sigh. It is because of those types of stories I decided to write this one. I wanted to show a mature look at how all three characters could interact. And, spoiler alert, this story is more about Jo and Izzie becoming friends than it is about the couples that end up together at the end. Thank you so much for your review and discussion! I hope you give this story a chance._

_If I missed anyone, I apologize! All your reviews are important to me. Even the ones that hurt. And there were a few that hurt. I am a firm believer that we learn from everything and I definitely learned from those reviews. I am not going to give up on this story because I know where it is headed. I know everything that occurs and doesn't occur. I really hope some of you give it a chance. You won't be sorry that you did. I apologize in advance if the characters are OOC. I haven't written in a long time. _

Chapter One

_6 months earlier, April's wedding_

It felt a bit like a romantic comedy; Julia Roberts style. The sort where the best friend who used to be a lover realizes he is still in love with the bride and stands up to declare said love before she says 'I do.' Of course, in the movie, the bride would have the same realization. She would throw her bouquet at her forgotten groom and race into the arms of the man she really loves. Only this wasn't a romantic comedy. It was real life. There was nothing funny or romantic about Jackson Avery standing up in the middle of April's wedding to give some spiel about being in love with her and wanting to be with her. It was brutal. It was cruel. It was...ridiculous! Not just because April looked ready to murder him, but because his girlfriend looked as though she were on the verge of shock. Licking her suddenly dry lips, Jo twisted at the waist, leaned slightly over the chair where she was seated, and stretched a hand toward Stephanie. "Steph," she called. The other woman slowly ripped her gaze from her boyfriend and shifted her focus to Jo.

"Jo," Stephanie finally whimpered, her brow knitting together. "I don't understand." That made two of them. Jo didn't understand either. For months Jackson had seemed like the perfect boyfriend. At that was how Stephanie had made it sound. There had been no reason not to believe her, not when Jackson's actions were backing up the praises Stephanie was singing. "What is he saying? That he loves her? That he just...suddenly realizes he loves her?" The 'what about me' was silent but shining in her eyes none the less.

Jo bit her lip, torn on how to respond. She didn't know Jackson's mindset. Whether he meant the words he was saying or whether he was just panicking because April was getting married. "I don't know," she answered at last.

"Yes you do," her friend sniffed. "Everyone does. They all heard him. He's in love with April. He wants to be with April." A tear formed in the corner of one of Stephanie's large, dark eyes. As it started to roll down her soft, gently rounded cheek she jumped to her feet. Jo followed suit. If Stephanie was leaving, she wasn't leaving alone. Not like this. Not when it was obvious that her heart was broken. "I can't this. I can't be here. I can't just...I love him! I love him Jo! I don't understand! He can say it to her but not me?"

Jo parted her lips, ready to sooth with some platitude, but nothing came out. There was nothing she could say to make the situation better. There were no words to explain why Jackson did what he did. The only person who knew the answer to that was Jackson himself and it didn't look like he was going to do any explaining. At least not to Stephanie. His focus was still on April. For the first time since Jackson stood up and made his little announcement Jo looked at the bride. To say April was in shock seemed like an understatement. Her face was almost as white as the dress she wore. "Are you insane," April yelled. "Are you completely insane Jackson Avery? This is my wedding! You...you can't just say something like that to me in the middle of my wedding!"

"When was I supposed to say it?"

Closing her eyes, Jo shook her head. He couldn't have really just asked that question. There had been plenty of opportunities for him to tell April he loved her, that he wanted to be with her. He hadn't taken any of them. "Seriously? Seriously?! You need to leave. Now. Before you say anything else to ruin my day and our friendship." April's jaw clenched as she raised her chin a fraction higher.

"April..." Jackson started to say something else but stopped when April shook her head. His head dropped, his chin touching his chest as it sunk in that April had heard him, she just didn't feel the same. Not anymore. He let out a sigh and turned to his former seat. Stephanie stared at him, her eyes brimming. "Stephanie...I..."

"Not now," Jo hissed, shaking her head. "You need to go. Leave the explanations for later when feelings aren't so hurt, okay?" He nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of his suit pants.

"You are such an asshole," Stephanie yelled. "A selfish asshole! How could you? How could you do that? To me...to them..." she thrust her arm towards the front, where April was softly talking to the groom. The pissed off groom who looked ready to walk down the aisle and beat the shit out of the asshole who interrupted his wedding, Jo thought as she scrambled over a couple of April's friends from Ohio. She had to get Stephanie out of there before anything else was said. It was bad enough Jackson made a fool of himself, Stephanie didn't need to do the same.

"Time to go," Jo cajoled hooking an arm through Stephanie's. Stephanie started to resist the gently tugging towards the door only to sag with defeat. Her body started to shake as she started to sob. Jackson started to reach for her. Jo shook her head. She wanted to tell him he should have thought about Stephanie before he made his little speech. He should have thought about April as well. Matthew to for that matter. Instead he only thought about himself. She looked at her friend. She'd never seen Stephanie like this. So broken down, lost, confused. All because of Jackson's big mouth. "Alex," she called, looking toward her boyfriend for help. There was no way she was getting Stephanie out of there alone.

Alex let a sigh before rising from his seat. He shot Jackson a hard look before wrapping an arm around Stephanie's side. Jo kept a comforting hand in the middle of her back as they guided her toward the exit. She didn't know if Jackson followed or not. She didn't care. Let him deal with his own mess. Her only concern was helping her friend through the after-math. "I can't believe him," she spat out once they had Stephanie settled in the backseat of Alex's car. "What the hell is wrong with him? Who does that? I mean, really, who does that?"

"Did you want him to say nothing? To just sit there and let the woman he loved marry someone else?" Alex's quiet question still the blood rushing through Jo's veins. She stared at him in disbelief. He couldn't be defending Jackson. Not after what the idiot just did. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not saying what he did was right but come on. Look at it from his point of view. He just realized he loved her and he was going to lose her. He didn't have anything to lose by speaking up."

"You did not just say that!" Jo splayed her fingers on her hips, arms akimbo, and stared at him. "He knew how he felt. He just didn't say anything until..." her voice trailed off. Until he was about to lose her. Her arms dropped to her sides, her fingers plucking at the hem of her black lace dress. Was there some truth to what Alex was saying? Was it possible to just suddenly realize you were in love with your ex? And if it was possible, did it mean Jackson hadn't meant to cause the pain he caused? He was just following his heart? So many fucking questions and it wasn't even her problem. "I don't understand how he could do that. How he could just suddenly realize he still had feelings for her when he seemed so happy with Stephanie."

"Sometimes you can't control what your heart feels." He shot her a crooked half-smile before opening the drivers side door. Jo crossed her arms over her chest, her light amber eyes studying his face. "What?"

"Nothing," she muttered, hating herself for the silly thoughts that were forming in her head. Alex had been talking about Jackson, or people in general. His words had nothing to do with himself or his ex-wife or any of the other women he dated.

"I know that look. It's not nothing. What's going through that mind of yours, princess."

Damn it. She didn't want to tell him her foolish thoughts, because that was what they were. Foolish. She stretched her lips into what she hoped was a bright, teasing smile. "You're not going to suddenly realize you're in love with any of your exes are you?" The minute the question left her mouth she wished she could take it back. "Never mind. I was teasing. Bad joke."

"Hey," he said softly, rounding the car. "I'm not Jackson." He trailed one finger down the side of her face, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. It should have eased the ridiculous thoughts she had been having. Instead, there was something in his voice, in the words he didn't say, that made the thoughts seem even more tangible.


End file.
